The Perfect Summer Steak Sandwich

A lot has happened these last few months - my husband and I began a house hunt, and, through some miracle, found one we liked!

Fortunately, this house does not have any of the following attributes, all of which were highlights at other houses we toured:

• Floors so slanted that the dog's tennis balls would be constantly in a corner.
• A massive, several hundred-deep Barbie collection in the unpermitted family room.
• A neighbor wandering out to vaguely threaten you, with this sign in his window: 

• Huge One Direction decals in every hallway (free of charge!)
• A bedroom, entrance to which is only through another bedroom.
• Sketchy boarding-house style locks on every door and makeshift entrances.
• An old spa tub our realtor nicknamed "the embalming bathtub."
• WINNER: a femur bone in the backyard. For reals.

Also, the last three were all the same house. On our first day of house hunting. It didn't inspire much confidence.

So, while we did see some gems, I will admit that we very lucky in finding the new home, and are absolutely in love with it!

DIY Game of Thrones Pint & Wine Glasses

If you have read my earlier posts (Part 1 & Part 2), you will know that, for my thirtieth birthday, my husband and I threw a Game of Thrones-themed house party. Being presently immersed in the book series, I was excited to find ways to bring out a crafty side of things that would allow me to geek out on multiple levels.

One night, I had the brainstorm to buy Game of Thrones-branded pint glasses as party favors. A quick Google unearthed that these can cost about $10 each on the HBO site. A bit rich for my blood, I would say! Especially as we were expecting about 40 people, I wanted to have glasses available for all without breaking the bank.

I was still riding the high of my purchase of $1 stemless wine glasses from Dollar Tree (of which I had 36 remaining) so I figured, why not take some of those and some discount pint glasses and find a way to etch them? For those new to this technique, etching glasses is done by applying a stencil and painting with an etching solution, letting it set, and washing it off so the design is actually 'baked into' the glass.

The hardest part of this project was figuring out what design I wanted, and deciding how I can get them accurately presented on the glass. I am sure you can make the stencil at home if you have a crafting machine (and design skills), but that is not something I am equipped to handle. Instead, I reached out to Dana of decalsndecor on Etsy, who was extremely helpful in getting me exactly what I needed.

I knew I wanted a mixture of both Stark and Targaryen sigils, so I sent the HBO version of the sigils as a reference. Dana was able to create custom vinyl stencils for me for use on the glasses, and I ended up ordering twenty of each, forty total, for about $29.

Once receiving those, and following the directions provided by Dana, I started by running all of the glasses through the dishwasher to make sure they are free of dust.

Once clean, Ryan and I assembly-lined applying the stencil to the glass. This is done by peeling off a protective layer on the back and carefully spreading from the middle outward. The goal here is to ensure that the border around the design is stuck very closely to the glass so that the etching solution does not slip into an air bubble and etch outside of the design boundaries. After applying, we used a credit card to ensure that it was on tightly.

Laundry room chic.

After peeling the top protective layer, I painted on the etching solution. The most popular I found was Armour Etch, which will run you about $10 for 3 ounces at JoAnn Fabric (or $5 if you download the app, as they are always posting 50% off coupons). I found 3 ounces to be the perfect amount for this project.

After painting on, I let the glasses sit for about 5 minutes each (give or take). I did a test glass and found that the 2-3 minutes I first tried left the design far too faint. 5 minutes worked perfectly. The big warning I kept reading at this stage was to be careful about the surface you use this on, as the etching solution will damage many surfaces. We have a pretty junky utility sink, so it was fine for me. That said, note the hearty, obligatory warning.

After sitting for the 5 minutes, we peeled the decal off and rinsed thoroughly. Note: despite the lack of them in this photo, definitely wear gloves for this stage. It will make it harder to peel the decals, but good heavens, why risk getting something that eats glass on your fingers.

I also recommend having your visiting guests help. Having an artist in residence definitely speeds the process up!

After they are all rinsed (and you are basking in your etched glass glory), your design will be permanently on the glass. That means you can run them through the dishwasher before use and treat them like any other glass - there is zero risk of it 'fading.'

...wow that glass really filled up since the beginning of the blog post.

Et voila! I totalled an average cost of $2 a glass for this project, a big savings compared to the $10 HBO versions.

...and, after all this, I naturally forgot to tell people to take them as favors at the end of the party. Whoopsie daisy. I am now the proud owner of several dozen Game of Thrones glasses! Thank goodness for the return of the show and inevitable parties.

This so wraps the Game of Thrones party posts! I hope that this was helpful in your own party planning, and feel free to reach out about any questions you may have.

Valar Morghulis!

A Game of Thrones Party, Part 2- The Food & Drink

Hello again, friends and fellow Game of Thrones fans. This post is a follow up to my previous post about our Game of Thrones party, featuring the theme details, decor and temporary tattoo craft from my 30th nameday - er - birthday.

While the decor was fun and gave me a chance to fulfill the craftiness I was craving, you surely know by now that menu planning is my absolute favorite part of any gathering. Planning this menu was a challenge, as this group could vary from 25-45 people, taking 'maybe' RSVP numbers into account. It ultimately ended up being about 40 people throughout the day, so thank goodness I planned ahead!

This table also had to be thematically appropriate (I was picturing a hedonistic Lannister spread), and presented in a way that kept with the general house sigil / loose medieval feel of the party. If some of the dishes could tie into book themes, all the better!

As with the first post, the amazing photographer (and friend) Alexander Wysocki was kind enough to take photos for me to use in this post. So let's take a food tour through our Westerosi-inspired spread!

For the main munchables, we are lucky to be close to the much-beloved Porto's bakery, which offers catering at dizzyingly reasonable rate. We got several dozen meat pies as well as several dozen vegetarian-friendy spinach-and-cheese pies, a savory treat we think they would happily indulge in in Westeros.

A Game of Thrones Party, Part 1 - Theme, Decor & Printable Tattoos

I have heard that a lot of women suffer from a kind of withdrawal after their weddings are done. They've gotten in touch with a DIY side of themselves they never knew they had. The wedding ends, only to have the adrenaline rush subside and be left with thick rolls of butcher paper and artistinal twine, with naught to be done with it. That was not the case for me with our wedding - I loved everything about how it turned out, and was happy with the mild crafting I had taken on (the bulk of it having gone to my mother). I felt satisfied, but not eager to keep the momentum going.

...I think that withdrawal just caught up with me.

For those of you still getting to know me, I do not tend to plan parties full of charming crafts and clean, thematic, Martha Stewart-esque spreads. This particular party post comes to mind. I respect those who do, and know some who do it expertly - I just never had that kind of crafting ability, nor can refrain from making a big 'ol mess in the process, ruining the notion of a tidy spread.

Until, one day this past Summer, my husband asked if I would want to have a party for my 30th birthday. We had hosted a house party for his 30th several years ago, which was a big success (It was Batman-themed... I may have strong-armed him into it). Plus, it had been so long since we had thrown a large house party! I was ready to dust off my entry-level crafting skills and apply them to my current obsession. Game of Thrones.

After Season 4's gripping conclusion of the hit TV series, I just plain couldn't wait another half year for it to return to the air before getting another fix of Tyrion Lannister and Westeros. Instead, I dove in and power housed through those books. Dear God, was I ready to talk to people about it! My nerdy obsession with Game of Thrones had reached the same level of geeky insatiability as waiting for the final Harry Potter books to come out.

It seemed only right that my milestone birthday party should not only combines the joy of seeing friends, but indeed welcome them in the warm embrace of the Iron Throne I have come to love.

The more I searched for inspiration, the more I found fun little touches used at various premiere or viewing parties. I also discovered that there is a very delicate balance between throwing a Game of Thrones-themed party and making your house look like a medieval sex dungeon, with candles and blood red fabric draped everywhere, accented by plastic weaponry.



As such, I decided to theme the party around the different houses from the series (and their sigils), versus the general medieval time period.

As a birthday gift, the amazingly talented Alex Wysocki was kind enough to take photos of the party and gift them to me to use for this post so I could actually enjoy my party. So let's take a stroll through this geeky Westerosi soiree, shall we?

If you landed here because you are throwing your very own Game of Thrones party, I hope you find something you can use! Please feel free to message me if you have any questions about details or sources.

Sneak Peek - A Game of Thrones Birthday Party

Sometimes you turn 30. Sometimes you want to leverage that into a reason to throw a big, nerdy party and hope people will come because it is your birthday.

Sometimes you have the best friends ever and they will all come and indulge you by enjoying a party themed entirely after Game of Thrones. Oh my goodness, was this party fun to plan. I tried my hand at mild crafting, there were pretty obscure references in the form of centerpieces and butter shaped to look like House Stark's direwolf sigil.

These details, and more, coming to you in a special blog post several months in the making.

In interim, please enjoy this photo of a wine bloodbath.

Hosting tip of the day: if you are going to stab a bladder of wine with a chef's knife to pour into a beverage dispenser, make damn sure you have it fully over the dispenser before you do so.

Oops.

At least bloodbaths are thematically appropriate.

Happy Hour - The Griffith, LA's Official Cocktail

It may be mid-November, but you wouldn't be able to tell here in sunny (permanently, permanently sunny...) Los Angeles.

While other places in the country embrace warm sweaters, fireplaces and mulled drinks, it is still the tail end of patio season here in sunny LA. This has its benefits in the form of an extended season for my favorite parts of Summer - things I imagine people have in mind when thinking of Los Angeles this time of year: not needing to bring more than a light cardigan when going outside, having friends over to enjoying so bright and sunny Sundays and spending time at gastropubs with dog-friendly patios.

One thing you may not know, though, is that we have official LA cocktail that is reminiscent of all of this - the Griffith.

Willow the dog gives it 4 barks!

Named after the famous Griffith Park and submitted by Angeleno Josh Lurie, the Griffith is a bright citrus drink made with lemons and cucumber, accented with simple syrup. What is the main liquor ingredient, you ask? This cocktail is made specifically with organic botanical-infused vodka and Grand Poppy liqueur straight from Greenbar, a distillery thriving within the city of Los Angeles. Oh yes, you can't get more LA than that.



I first learned of Greenbar Distillery at a craft soda mixology event where my friends at Los Angeles Ale Works were pouring their sodas. The spirits for said cocktails were all provided by Greenbar and, let me tell you, they were extremely well received. The folks were friendly and walked us through their lineup, which felt pretty much like the embodiment of Southern California -  hand crafted, organic spirits and a selection of craft liqueurs. My favorite, easily, was the Grand Poppy liqueur - this aperitif is like a more mellow Aperol (which you know I love) made from California poppies (our official state flower), California herbs and local citrus.



Flash forward some time, and I am seeing more and more of the Greenbar bottles appearing in friends' home bars and stocked and showcased in Whole Foods (just when you think it can't get any more yuppie LA!). I started buying some different bottles and it really is amazing what a difference these spirits make. The rum and vodkas in particular just taste 'fresher' than the big brand equivalents, in a bottled water versus tap water way.



While deep into trying out new cocktails for this blog (what I go through for you loyal readers...). I knew I wanted to support this local distillery. I reached out to see if they had a favorite cocktail they would like me to write about specifically, and this is how I learned about the Griffith. This cocktail is designed around ingredients that are locally grown in Los Angeles, from the lemons to the spirits themselves. I gave the drink recipe a whirl and, one sip in, was smitten.



Enthused about sharing this drink, the fine folks of Greenbar were even kind of enough to give me some bonus bottles to help me share with friends (class act!). Yup, pretty much the coolest ever.

So let's cut to the drink.

7 Reasons Why I Love the Griffith

1. It looks great served in any glass. Coupe, mason jar, you can have it all. It is like Pinterest in a glass.

2. I like to garnish this drink with some fresh cucumber, which gives it a very 'spa water' vibe. Except so much better because it can give you a lovely buzz.

3. It can be served up for a nighttime treat, or over crushed ice for a daytime beverage. I have made this on many football Sundays (today included), and it is a perfect day drinking cocktail.

4. You can prep the elements ahead and transport. In the past, I have made the simple syrup at home, juiced some lemons and sliced some cucumbers, packing them up in salad dressing tupperware. Bring this with the spirits, borrow a shaker and a muddler and bam, cocktail. Easy peasy. If you were so inclined to flex your mixology muscles on a picnic, this is the drink for you.



5. It adheres the pound cake school of measurements. As someone who can never remember proportions, this is a breeze - 3 cucumber slices and an ounce of the rest.

6. While great for patios, the Griffith is not just a Summer drink. The Grand Poppy liqueur embodies a lot of what I love about Autumnal / Winter drinks - a floral, sweet taste that quietly accents a drink earthy side. The vodka, infused with botanicals, gives it an herbaceous element and balances out the citrus by contributing a savory undertone. Oh yes.

7.  It smells freaking amazing.

There is one drawback... on about three separate occasions I got so excited to make (and, er, consume) the Griffith, I forgot to take step-by-step photos. Oops. The good news is I got to cozy up one night, cue up the BBC miniseries North & South on Netflix and take a leisurely series of cocktail photos. Come join me.

Start by cutting 3 slices of cucumber. Look at that moisture by the cut - the definition of fresh.

Put them in the bottom of a cocktail shaker.

Muddle...

...until you get a nice pulp.

Grab a lemon.

Juice an ounce. This will take about one small lemon.

Add the lemon juice to the cucumbers in your shaker, along with one ounce of simple syrup.

Add your Greenbar TRU garden vodka and Grand Poppy liqueur.

Add ice to the shaker. Shake shake shake.

Pour into a coupe glass and serve up. (Or, for a more casual vibe, pour into a mason jar over crushed ice).

Garnish with a slice of cucumber. Voila!

You have a tasty cocktail that embodies everything awesome about LA.

Griffith

1 oz Greenbar Tru garden vodka
1 oz Greenbar Grand Poppy liqueur
1 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 oz simple syrup
3 slices fresh cucumber

Tip: Make your simple syrup about 10 minutes before preparing your cocktail, to allow for cooling time.

In your cocktail shaker, drop 3 slices of fresh cucumber. Muddle. Add lemon juice and simple syrup, then the two spirits. Shack with ice, and strain into glass. Garnish with cucumber slice.

Home Yoga Practice with Dooley

In the last year or so, I have been discovering the joys of yoga - a surprisingly effective workout that makes me feel flexible(ish), relaxed and nicely stretched out.

Another fan of yoga is Dooley.

...and by fan, I mean a fan of of laying on my yoga mat and helping me.

...and by helping me, I mean thwarting every pose by laying on top of me or crawling underneath me.

"You don't need to see the video, I'll demonstrate."

Many of you may be familiar with the ‘hip new trend’ - “doga.” No one I know practices this, of course, but word on the street is that many folks love it.

Doga is the practice of yoga with one's dog. You pose them, integrate them into your practice, and so on. The videos you find, such as the above, feature people bending their dogs as if they were furry yogis, naturally skilled via innate canine zen.

"Hi, ma!"

In my case, Dooley likes to give me a crazy look before squeaking away on a toy in my ear or squirming up to my face and belching on me.

This particular video sums my experience pretty splendidly.

If I am going to continue living in Los Angeles, Dooley and I had better get our act in gear. As it stands, I am pretty sure we would get thrown out of a lululemon on sight.

Has anyone tried one of the professional doga classes? If so, was it helpful or a comical farse?

"OK, that's enough. I'm tired."

How to Transform Store Bought Dips into a Beautiful Spread

As a diligent fan of food and entertaining blogs, I am always looking up recipes. I love trying new things, and keep aggregating appetizer recipes to try. Cookbooks line my shelves, full to the brim with earmarked pages of adorable canapes and small bites with delicate garnishes that I have daydreams of serving at upcoming parties.

You know what, though? Sometimes you just don't have any time to cook.

When those times happen, you can look to one thing to keep your party food looking inviting and well-thought-out - presentation.

Paying close focus to presentation can be one of the most best ways to show your guests that you have thought about their needs and put in extra effort to make things look desirable to them. It is what separates a weeknight family dinner from an actual dinner party.

More often than not, adjusting a meal to have a little extra pizazz and attention to detail will not take much extra time. This can be done by plating on your food on a beautiful platter, paying attention to garnishes, laying food out in a way that is accessible to all - or all of the above.

Presentation skills can be used to easily upgrade store-bought dips, in fact, creating a beautiful appetizer spread for your guests when you do not have time to cook. In this post, I will take two of my favorite store-bought dips and apply my favorite presentation tricks to upgrade simple fare into a lovely, party-ready repast.

Hummus Served with Snap Peas and Baby Carrots

I am not sure if this is an LA thing or a yuppie thing, but hummus is easily the most omnipresent dip at the parties I attend (or host, for that matter). Creamy, savory and just healthy enough to (somewhat) justify eating way too much of it, this superstar is endlessly modifiable to satisfy every craving.

For this example I am using plain old hummus from Trader Joe's, and serving with pre-prepped bags of baby carrots and snap peas.



Selecting the vegetables is as simple as buying a bag of baby carrots and a bag of snap peas, pre-washed. You can easily swap out for a variety platter of vegetables, sliced red peppers, endive leaves, celery or whatever you have on hand.

The presentation upgrade here is how you lay the vegetables out. Grab a platter or large dinner plate, on which you will divide the vegetables 50/50.



Pour your first vegetable out on the first half, and tidy them up so they are all facing the same direction. This isn't as fussy as it sounds, and will take you maybe a minute tops. Do the same with the second set of vegetables.



Then, take your hummus and put it in a bowl. I like to take a spoon and swipe in a circular motion to look 'rustic,' then wipe any extra hummus from the rim of the bowl with a paper towel to make it tidy.



The real magic here is with the garnish. To add color and a little extra flavor, I drizzle a little olive oil over the top, give the bowl a tap or two of smoky red paprika and add a few pine nuts, if I have them on hand.

See the difference? With five minutes of extra effort, you gain so much value in presentation. The diversity of color is very pleasing to the eye, and makes the food look that much more desirable.



Guests will not be able to resisting diving right into this tempting treat.

Bruschetta Dip Served with Baguette Slices

As previously established, I am crazy for Trader Joe's dips. This is in large part because I stumbled onto this savory-yet-slightly-sweet bruschetta dip. It has a fruity taste of the tomato mixed with the pungent taste of olive oil and Italian seasonings.  Served with baguette slices, you pretty much can't get an easier appetizer.

Start by slicing a baguette, making each peace uniform. I like my slices to be about a centimeter thick.

Lay the pieces out on a platter in tidy rows.



Pour the dip into a bowl - I like to use the same style bowl as the hummus for a streamlined look - and spoon off any excess olive oil that drifts to the top. Then, add a few taps of dried Italian seasoning, oregano or basil.

This won't add too much to the overall flavor if you use a light hand, but adds a nice color contrast.



Serve alongside your bread slices.

Overall Presentation

After you have both sets of appetizers ready, lay them out on your table. Depending on where people will be sitting, be sure that they have an easy reach to both dip and dipping vehicle (read: bread or vegetables). 

If you have a fair amount of people and there is not an easy way for them to enjoy both, consider putting out small salad plates or napkins so guests can grab several at a time and bring back to their seat.

There you have it! With several extra minutes, you can present store bought dips and spreads in a beautiful manner, while saving yourself heaps of time. These little additions show a caring touch and interest in presentation, making your guests feel appreciated.

Do you have favorite store bought dips or presentation tips? Leave them in the comments below!